Health professionals encounter data daily: blood pressure readings, drug efficacy rates, disease prevalence, and survival rates. Interpreting this data requires statistical literacy. Misapplication of statistical tests can lead to Type I errors (false positives) or Type II errors (false negatives), potentially resulting in harmful clinical guidelines. This paper serves as a guide to the fundamental concepts and applications of statistics in the health sector.

Choosing the correct statistical test begins with identifying the type of variable.